Lamia and Amarok
by SheeWolf85
Summary: Nessie is a Lamia, a child-eating monster of Greek descent. She meets Jacob in a small town and falls in love with him. He and his twin boys may or may not be what they seem. Rated M for language and mature content. AU, J/N, O/S. A bit scary. A bit sweet. A bit cheesy. Happy Halloween!


A/N: Happy Halloween! *insert pumpkins, ghosts, black cats, and maniacal laughter here*

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I usually try to write a little something for it. I've wanted to write something similar to this for a while, but inspiration never really worked in my favor. I'm so happy to finally have been able to do it.

First of all, a bit of a warning; this is partly a horror story, so there are definitely some horror aspects to it. A Lamia is known as a monster that devours children. That happens in this story, though it isn't detailed or gory.

It's rated M for language, adult content, and some sexy situations. Nothing graphic.

Huge thanks to WolfGirl1335, ReneeFF, and IndependenceIndividuality for pre-reading. I love you all!

* * *

**Lamia and Amarok**

It wasn't as easy as it might sound. The task of effectively concealing her true self to befriend the small town while also selecting her next meal was daunting. Others of her kind called her weak. They said she didn't have the "stuff" to be a true Lamia. She'd scowl at them. Of course she was a true Lamia. How could she not be? It wasn't anything she could escape or deny.

She thought the others were weak. They didn't bother pretending or selecting; they went in, took what they wanted, and left with authorities hot on their tails. Literally. She couldn't imagine showing her true self, but they did it on a regular basis. They said the effort to conceal their tails behind a pair of legs was too tiring. She didn't agree.

No matter what the others said, she considered her plan a success. She liked being able to join the community and trick the human population into trusting her, sometimes even delivering their children right onto her dinner plate without a second glance. She was smart about it and even joined the search party when a child went missing. It granted her greater trust and easier meals.

That wasn't saying that she could stay in a single place forever. She'd stay for six months to a year before moving on. It was only a matter of time before the small-town residents would get suspicious, and she couldn't let that happen.

She remembered two hundred years ago when she was a young Lamia, just starting out on her own. She'd started out traditionally, breaking into a house in the middle of the night. It had been easy then. She'd had to figure something else out as people became smarter and things like alarms and monitors and motion-sensor lights were invented. That was when she developed her new strategy. It was easy to scope out the houses without the protection when she knew what to look for in the daylight hours.

She'd changed her name as she went from town to town. Sometimes she'd use Lamia as her name. Most people in this day and age didn't even know she existed. They no longer believed in her kind, and so children weren't so protected.

She liked using the names of other so-called mythical creatures. She'd used Angel, Aleya, Davana, Faun, Griffin, Kasha, Kerri, Kishi, Lilin, Mara, and Raven. She'd also used normal, human names such as Harriet, Patricia, Vanessa, and Natasha. This time around, she chose a more popular mythical name—Nessie.

She looked up from the book she was reading when the bus stopped. It was still a ways outside of town, but she didn't mind. She smiled at some people and their children as they got off with her. One girl in particular—a well-fed girl of five years with short, dark hair and a gap between her front teeth—looked appetizing. She approached the girl's parents.

"Hello," she said sweetly. "My name's Nessie."

The man smiled back and shook her hand. "Hi, Nessie. I'm Mark. This is my wife, Karen, and our daughter, Melissa."

Melissa looked up at her with her blue eyes shining with youth and energy. "Hi, Nessie. I like your name."

Nessie gave the girl an extra big smile. "Thank you. I like your name, too." She turned back to the parents. "What brings you guys all the way out here?"

They walked together toward their baggage.

Karen answered. "We're here visiting family. My brother and his wife are having their first baby."

Nessie found her bag and picked it up. "Oh, that's so exciting!" She'd found over the years that it became easier to imitate human emotion the more she practiced. She didn't particularly care for babies, so she didn't really care about Karen's brother. She wanted to know more about Melissa. The little girl stood holding her dad's hand and picking her nose.

"Yes, it is." Karen agreed. "What about you? What brings you to this tiny town?"

"I'm looking for adventure," Nessie replied. "New faces, new opportunities. You know, a fresh start."

Mark nodded. "You might have a hard time finding that in this small town."

"That's okay. It's more the journey I'm looking forward to. People are generally nicer in small towns. You can't get to know someone in a big city the way you can in places like this."

"That's very true," Karen said. They all started walking toward the tiny bus station where Karen's brother was waiting to pick her up. "There's just a feel to small towns you can't get elsewhere."

Nathan, Karen's brother, was a tall man with blond hair and glasses. His pregnant wife was in the car holding her ripe stomach while he and Mark loaded the bags into the trunk. Nessie looked Melissa over one more time and sniffed the air to get her scent. It shouldn't be too hard to find it again. She didn't think many people would have a lingering big-city stench like she and her family did.

They said their goodbyes and the family drove away. Nessie walked into the woods until no sign of inhabitance or civilization could be seen. There she pulled off her clothes, tucked them away in her bag, and sat down to release her tail. Her legs twined together, becoming one. Scales formed over her skin and her toes turned into a pointed end. Her hair faded from shiny bronze to dull gray, her healthy, peach-colored skin became pale, and her fingernails twisted into claws. She breathed a sigh of relief when it was completed. She smiled, relaxed, and pushed herself up on her tail. She picked up her bag and began slithering her way to town.

* * *

The man at the front desk of the motel was bored. Nessie could see him through the window leaning on the desk reading a magazine. He'd yawned twice. She smiled to herself, opened the door and paused a moment for him to look up.

He did a double take, as most men did. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't the short woman with bronze curls, a pale but flawless complexion, a low-cut top showing her cleavage, and jeans that hugged her figure just right. Nessie had experimented with many different looks before she chose this one. She got more attention as a blonde, but most men didn't take her seriously. Brown hair was good, but she'd found that red hair gave her a mysterious and playful look that most men couldn't overlook. Her height was important, too. A tall woman intimidated a man. Average was too plain. Short raised a man's protective instincts. She chose a healthy middle size, not thin but not too thick. She had meat on her bones the way men liked.

"Hello," he said with a smile. "Can I help you?"

She walked up to the counter and put her hands on top of one another. "Yes, I think so." She looked at him for a moment. The best part about pretending to be human was the way she could affect them. Whether they realized it or not, they knew she wasn't like any other person they'd ever met. Their instincts told them she was different, possibly dangerous. They could see it in her brown eyes. "I need a room."

He nodded and swallowed. "We have a few available. A single?"

"Yes, that's all I need. I have a problem, though." She pouted.

His brow furrowed. "What's that?"

She sighed and leaned down a little, showing him more of her breasts. "What's your name?"

"Matt."

"Matt, I don't have any money." That wasn't true. The paper that substituted for real wealth was easy to come by these days. It still went fast, and she preferred not to use it on things she knew she could get for free.

Matt's lips pursed. "Well, that is a problem."

She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger and looked at him with wide, innocent-looking eyes. "I really, _really_ need a room, though. I can't sleep in the gutter. Is there _anything_ you can do to help me?" Playing dumb was fun sometimes.

Matt cleared his throat and leaned down to look at her. His blue eyes were excited but cautious. "I would really love to help you out, miss, uh . . ."

"Nessie," she supplied.

"Nessie, but I'm afraid management sets the rules. They're not in."

She nodded and reached out to touch his hand. "Is there really nothing else I can pay with?" Her other hand snaked up his arm. "Nothing at all?" She leaned in further and licked her lips seductively. "A blow job, perhaps?"

He melted like butter. She loved having this control over humans. A little whimper escaped his lips. "Um . . . You know what; I think we can do that."

She smiled and pulled back. "You're an angel, Matt. When do you want payment?"

The door behind them opened. Another passenger on the bus she'd arrived in came in. She sighed.

Matt cleared his throat. "Tomorrow morning," he said. "Bright and early." He handed her the room key and told her the number.

"Thank you, Matt." She blew him a kiss before she picked up her bag and strutted out of the office.

She went to her new room and locked the door behind her. Nessie didn't mind giving men what they wanted. There were some perks involved with having legs she could spread. She didn't have the parts needed to get pregnant from human sperm, so it wasn't anything she'd ever worried about. And although she preferred children, she'd been known to store a grown man for the times when food was scarce. The ability to snag the man already in her bed made things easy.

She took off her shirt and went into the small bathroom to brush her bronze hair and clean her face. The one grievance she had was the upkeep on her human body was tedious. She washed her face and took a shower to wash the rest of her. After drying off and brushing her teeth, she put her damp hair in a bun and went to bed.

The next morning, she got up early to give Matt his payment. He arrived right on time and left with a wide smile. She wondered briefly if he'd still be smiling if he knew he'd just gotten head from a 250-year-old child-eating monster. She shrugged it off. All that mattered was that she didn't have to spend her money on shelter for a while.

She got dressed and headed into town to scope out her surroundings. It was a busy day with shops opening up and people milling about. She smiled at them and made conversation with those who had children. By the end of the day, she had five possible choices.

Over the next few days, she worked on her relationships with the townspeople. By the end of the week, she'd been invited to dinner by two families. At the end of the second week, she'd made her selection. She'd been a little perturbed when the girl Melissa and her family went home, but a plump boy two years older than Melissa promised to be more filling. Her mouth watered as she thought of him strutting around in his oversized jeans and t-shirt. He smelled of sweat and fat. All the better, she thought.

She was patient as she built a deeper friendship with the people around her, particularly the boy's parents. Nearly a month had passed when she couldn't wait any longer.

As Nessie prepared for her meal, she slipped out of her clothes and released her tail. It felt good to relax. She licked her lips and slithered out of the room. The moon was bright that night. It cast an eerie glow as it illuminated the fog on the streets. The whole town was fast asleep. She slithered silently to the boy's house. His room was on the second floor. Not a problem, she thought. Her tail came in handy when it came to climbing. She used the tree outside his window, wrapping the end of her tail around a branch as she reached out and pushed the window open.

"Benjamin," she called softly. "Benjamin, darling, it's time to wake up."

She pulled herself into the room and quietly slithered to his bedside. She touched his face, her clawed finger scratching his cheek and drawing blood. She was tempted to lick it away. Patience, she told herself. Soon she'd have all of him.

"Come with me, Ben. We'll play and have fun." She pulled his covers off and wrapped her arms around his ample waist. "Come have fun."

He moaned sleepily but didn't wake. She carried him out the window, nearly dropping him as she navigated her way back onto the tree. She didn't bother to shut the window. It would make their assumptions that he'd run away or been kidnapped much more credible. She took him into the woods, still softly crooning to him. He didn't wake.

* * *

Nessie let the woman cry on her shoulder. This was the frustrating part, she thought. Trying to dredge up the right emotion was hard, but the tears were nearly impossible. She patted Benjamin's mother's back and nodded when she felt it was appropriate.

"I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically.

It had been one week since Benjamin had gone missing. The whole town had searched for him, Nessie included. That afternoon they'd found his remains in the woods. The authorities claimed wild animals as cause of death.

"I just don't understand it," Maria wailed. "My son wouldn't leave the house in the middle of the night. He hated hiking!"

Nessie patted her back again. "I'm sorry, Maria." She didn't know why the woman had chosen her to cry on. She'd only come by as a courtesy to check on the family and keep up appearances.

Two hours later, Nessie was finally released. She promised to come by again later with something for Maria and her husband. She wasn't so sure that something wouldn't be a coffin. She sighed to herself. Her rules were simple. Don't kill in the daytime, don't show her true form, and don't go after the parents of the missing child. It would get too suspicious too quickly. Oh, but it was tempting sometimes.

She shook herself and made her way back to the motel.

She survived the next few weeks until the shock of the boy's death began to wane. She continued to stay in the motel until she was offered a basement apartment in exchange for cleaning. She also took every opportunity to seduce the husband. He made it a strict stipulation that his wife never know about it. Nessie was okay with that. He wasn't the only man she slept with. She mostly flirted with single men; she didn't want to raise a reputation of home wrecker and get run out of town. "Slut" was a title she could live with. She also took a job at the bookstore and got to know more of the residents.

By her third month in the small town, she knew almost everyone at least by association. It was a good thing that one child kept her full for a while or she'd be hurting.

She followed her tried-and-true process with the second child. A girl of six years old with golden curls and a healthy waist line. She joined the search party and pretended to grieve with her parents.

She smiled to herself when she got home from another night of friendship. The others of her kind might mock her, but none of them could boast two children in the same town within only months. She'd claimed up to seven.

The next day at the bookstore, she smiled at the townspeople and held conversations with those who considered her their friend. Halfway through her shift, two boys that looked around twelve approached her counter. They smelled interesting; not as appetizing as children usually were.

"Can I help you?" she asked. They looked like twins with their matching black hair, freckles, and hazel eyes. She liked twins. To get them together was difficult but it was usually worth it in the end.

The one on the left pointed behind her. "How much is that book?"

The one on the right nodded. "The blue one with the dragon."

Nessie turned to see which one they were referring to. She picked up the only blue book on the shelf. "This one?"

They nodded in unison.

"It's thirty dollars."

They both thanked her and all but ran away. She followed them with her eyes until they disappeared between the rows of shelves. She licked her lips and smiled at her next customer.

An hour later, she noticed the boys walking up to the counter, each tugging on the hand of a tall, handsome man. They escorted him up to her counter. She noticed that he not only shared their black hair but their hazel eyes as well. His skin was darker than theirs and smooth without a trace of freckles. He smiled at her, showing a hint of white teeth.

"Hey," he said softly.

She swallowed. Human men didn't affect her the way they did human women. She'd never met a man she couldn't resist. She enjoyed her sexual encounters, but she'd never lusted for them. Her heart began to beat harder as he stared at her.

He cleared his throat. "Can we get that book?" he asked. He pointed to the one the boys had asked about earlier.

Both boys jumped excitedly.

Nessie blinked a few times and nodded. "Yeah. Of course. Sure." She turned to get the book. What was wrong with her?

She rang up the book and gave the man his total. He pulled out exact change and slid it across the counter to her. She took it, her fingers touching his. His skin was warm.

She took a deep breath and gave him the receipt. "Have a good day," she said with a smile.

He nodded. "You, too." He flashed her another smile before he left, the boys bouncing along behind him like ducklings following their mother.

"Who the hell was _that_?" Margaret, Nessie's coworker, asked.

Nessie hadn't thought about it, but she didn't know who he was either. She knew everyone in this town. He was new.

"I don't know," she replied. "But I intend to find out."

* * *

It wasn't as easy to find information on the new inhabitant as Nessie had thought. After two days, all she knew was that his name was Jacob, the two boys were his sons, and he'd moved from another state. She hadn't even seen him since the bookstore.

She didn't understand why she couldn't get him out of her head. His eyes, his smile, and his voice. They haunted her, even after she changed forms to remind herself of who and what she really was.

She gave up and decided to sniff him out. It should be easy. The boys had their own distinct scent; if she could find it, she could follow it.

She finally found it the next day at the cafe. She didn't even have to follow it anywhere. Jacob and his boys were at a table eating breakfast. Her stomach turned at the smell of the food. She swallowed her disgust and smiled at the waitress before seating herself at the booth behind Jacob.

She'd never been nervous around anyone; she was the predator and they could easily be rendered helpless. As she contemplated turning around and saying hello, her stomach twisted. She didn't understand it.

"Dad," one of the boys said. "That girl's behind you. That one you keep talking about."

She heard Jacob grunt. A smile spread across her lips.

"Thanks, Alex," he said grudgingly. He grunted again and sighed.

She cleared her throat and turned around. "It's okay, you know," she said. "I've talked about you, too."

He turned to look at her. She swallowed. He was so close, just a booth away from her.

"Is that right?"

She found herself nodding. "Yes."

He smiled and scooted over on the seat. "Why don't you join us?"

She took a deep breath and quickly moved over to sit beside him. "My name's Nessie," she said happily.

"I'm Jacob. This is my son Alex," he pointed to the boy on the left, "and that is Donovan," he pointed to the boy on the right. "They're my sons."

She nodded. "Hello, boys."

They nodded in unison. "Hi, Nessie."

"They're cute." And healthy, she thought. They were a little older than she liked, but still children. They were lean, but she could tell they'd have a lot of muscle. She licked her lips and turned her attention back to Jacob.

He chuckled. "Thanks." He stretched his arm out on the booth behind her. "How long have you lived here, Ness?"

She shrugged. "About four months. Almost five."

He nodded. "We're new around town if you haven't heard yet. Is there anything fun to do?"

"There's a lot of forest to hike, and I hear the cliff-diving is fun. I've never been myself."

"Can we go cliff-diving, Dad?" Donovan asked.

"Please?" added Alex.

Jacob leaned forward. "Maybe if you're on your best behavior today we'll go tomorrow."

The boys high-fived each other. "Awesome!"

After they ate their breakfast, Nessie showed them around town. She noticed a few of the women giving her dirty looks. There had been many times she'd noticed someone's jealousy toward her, but she'd never felt a sense of pride because of it. It hadn't mattered to her until then. Walking beside Jacob, she felt superior to those women in a way she'd never experienced. It confused her and made her happy at the same time.

She chose to ignore it for the time being. Instead, she focused on learning more about Jacob. She had to know why he affected her the way he did. What was so special about this human? She'd seen other tall, handsome men with dark hair and piercing eyes. She'd been in bed with many of them as well. She'd heard many a smooth voice that made other women swoon at the simplest of sentences but did nothing for her. Hearing Jacob speak was an experience on its own. She asked him questions not only to get the information but to hear him answer.

She'd learned a lot about him that day. He grew up in Canada with his father. When he was old enough, he ventured out on his own and began to travel. He met his late wife ten years ago in Arizona. She gave him his two boys and died when they were four. Since then, he'd been in search of something to fill the void she'd left.

Nessie felt truly sorry for Jacob as he spoke about his wife. She was jealous of the love she'd gotten from him and wondered if she could be the one to fill the void.

She stopped herself then. Of course she couldn't. Not only was she tempted to eat his children, she'd outlive him by several hundred years. Anything that happened between them would be at most a fling to her.

She sighed and took his hand. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said sadly.

He smiled. "Thank you." He squeezed her fingers.

Maybe a fling wouldn't be so bad.

Jacob took his boys home after Nessie showed them around. She went back to her apartment and started to work up a plan to get Jacob into bed. She wouldn't hurt him by eating his twins. There were plenty of other kids around.

* * *

The town was abuzz the next day with people frantically searching for Mr. Haroldson, the kindly butcher at the grocery store. He hadn't come home the night before and wasn't anywhere to be found.

Nessie joined the search party to gather information. It wasn't her doing; she had no interest in the man. Perhaps it was just a wild animal this time. Everyone knew that he liked to go hiking and hunting. Since the children began to disappear, most people stayed inside at night. Perhaps Mr. Haroldson just needed some fresh air.

No remains were found. No trace of him at all.

It was nearly time to eat again. She'd made her choice after debating a while. Twins sounded so good. In the end, she chose a young teenage boy. It wasn't hard to seduce him into coming with her. He wasn't even in bed when she showed up. Even in her true form, her song enticed him. In the woods, she knocked him unconscious.

A twig snapped somewhere around her. Her head jerked up and she looked around. Her tail twitched. She slithered in a circle around the boy, eyeing her surroundings. A low growl seemed to seep from the trees themselves.

"Come out, animal," Nessie called.

Her eyes widened as the shape of a giant wolf became visible between the trees. It growled, baring its teeth. Nessie hissed back. For a brief moment, the wolf met her eyes. It looked to the boy on the ground and licked its chops.

"It's mine, Wolf," she hissed.

The wolf growled again and lunged forward. She scratched its face and whipped her tail around to wrap around its neck.

Another growl behind her made her turn. Two smaller wolves stood by the boy on the forest floor. One of them sniffed his face while the other bit at his cotton pajama bottoms.

"No!" she cried. "It's mine!"

She let go of the large wolf and pulled herself toward the smaller ones. The large one stepped in front of her and bared its teeth again.

She was outnumbered. She backed away and hissed again. The giant wolf sat down sideways so it could watch her and the younger ones. They'd already started to eat. Defeated, she slithered away.

Everybody was talking about the recent disappearances at the bookstore the next day. She listened impassively as they talked about what kind of beast would devour so many people. They talked about bears and mountain lions and all of their different theories.

She perked up when Jacob came into the store with his sons behind him. Every time she saw him, they always trailed behind. He rarely, if ever, looked back to make sure they were still there. He just knew. He paused by a table of books to let the boys browse for a moment. The liked fantasy books filled with the creatures humans called mythical like dragons, fairies, ogres, and imps. She wondered what they'd think if they knew all those things were real and a lot more dangerous than most books portrayed.

A few moments later, they'd each picked a book and they headed toward the counter. Jacob let a woman go ahead of him when another cashier opened up. It wasn't until her line opened that he stepped up to make his purchases.

"Hello, Nessie," he said as the boys put their books up for her to scan. "How are you?"

She smiled. "I'm doing well, thanks. Yourself?"

He nodded. "Can't complain. How much do I owe you?"

She gave him the total and took the money he held out. "Have a good day, Jacob," she said with a smile.

He took her fingers when she gave him the receipt. "I will, thank you." He pulled her hand up and kissed her knuckles. "Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?" Jacob asked.

Nessie smiled. "Sure." She didn't care about the strange looks she was getting from customers and coworkers alike.

He smiled back. It made her shiver. "Be there at six." He walked away to join his boys.

Nessie sighed to herself and moved on to the next customer.

That evening she dressed in a skirt, a low-cut top, and high-heeled sandals. She pulled her hair up and put on a little makeup, then went to Jacob's house.

The small cottage was set deep in the woods. It was quaint and quiet with no nosy neighbors to interfere. She wondered how he'd acquired this place. He hadn't said much about it, and she hadn't asked. She knocked lightly on the door and stepped in when he opened it for her.

"Good evening," he said with a small smile. "I'm glad you could come."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you. I'm glad I could as well."

The smell that permeated the house was unlike anything she could remember. It wasn't lamb or pork or beef. It wasn't human, either. "What's for dinner?"

He just smiled again. "A surprise."

She raised an eyebrow and followed him into the kitchen. The boys sat at the table already waiting with their empty dishes in front of them.

"Hello, Nessie," they said in unison.

She waved to them. "Hello."

Jacob lifted the lid off an iron pot on the stove and stirred the contents. The scent made her mouth water. She had to know what was in that pot.

"Isn't it done yet, Dad?" Alex whined.

"I'm so hungry!" Donovan wailed.

Jacob gave him a stern glance. "Enough," he said harshly. The boys sat up straight. "It's nearly done." He smiled at Nessie. "Forgive them. They're just being children."

Nessie laughed. "Don't worry about it."

She sat down when he pulled a chair out for her. Alex and Donovan looked her over for a moment. She kept a polite smile on her face and let her eyes wander to Jacob's back periodically as he continued to prepare their meal. He set a bowl of bread on the table along with the butter and a few knives. The boys dug in. Nessie'd never cared for bread. She tried not to scowl at it.

"And for the main course." Jacob brought the pot over and set it on a hot pad on the table. "Ladies first." He gave Nessie a portion then the boys. After he'd dished his own, he sat down next to Nessie. "Enjoy."

The stew in her bowl was like most she could remember a human cooking. The thick, meaty sauce covered all the normal vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions, but the meat was white and chunky. It tasted divine.

"I have to get this recipe," she said after a few bites. "This is delicious."

Jacob smiled. "Thank you, but I'm afraid it's an old family recipe. I can't give it away."

She pouted. "Even if I beg?"

He shook his head. She sighed and finished the meal. Even the vegetables weren't half bad when mixed with the sauce. After the boys had seconds, Jacob sent them to wash up for bed.

"I really am glad you could come tonight, Nessie," he said as she helped him clean up. "I'm happy you enjoyed dinner."

She washed a bowl and handed it to him to rinse. "Thank you for inviting me."

She finished the dishes while he went to get the boys to bed. She wondered briefly what this kind of life would be like. If she could find a way to really be with Jacob, she'd have to fill in as a mother. Could she do that when she still wanted to eat them?

"They're in bed now," Jacob said from the hallway. "They won't be bugging us. What would you like to do?" He walked up behind her and put his hands on her hips. He pressed his lips to her head, breathing in the scent of her hair.

She leaned back against him as she finished drying the last dish. "I don't know," she lied. "Do you have anything in mind?"

He took the bowl from her hands and put it away. "Yes, actually I do." He turned her around and bent to kiss her lips. She threw her arms around his neck and opened her mouth. He grunted and pulled her up, lifting her feet off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist, happier than she could ever remember that she had legs to spread.

"I was hoping this would be on the menu," she managed to say.

He grunted. "I've wanted to fuck you since that first day I saw you."

"Me too," she moaned.

He grabbed her hair and smashed his lips against hers again. The kiss was deep and fervent. Neither cared about stopping or breathing or anything that wasn't becoming one. He carried her to his bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him.

* * *

Nessie woke up slowly. The air around her felt different. Colder. She opened her eyes to a different room than the one she was used to. For a moment, she wondered if she'd moved on to a new town and forgotten about it in the night. That had happened before.

The bed beside her shifted and someone groaned. She sat straight up in bed and slipped off the side of the bed onto her knees. She smiled to herself when she realized it was just Jacob. She had just forgotten that she'd stayed the night.

Jacob's eyes opened. There was something so soothingly familiar about them. "Everything okay?" he asked in a husky, sleepy voice.

She nodded and crawled back up onto the bed. "Yes, everything's fine. Good morning."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in to kiss her lips. "Morning. How did you sleep?"

She shrugged and burrowed further into his embrace. "Pretty good." The truth was she couldn't remember a better night's sleep. Even with her own kind when she was able to relax in her own form. All of the events of the night before replayed in her mind. The way he'd touched her made her wish she could really be a human if that kind of pleasure was possible every night. She sighed and kissed him again.

"I'm glad to hear it." The both looked toward the door when they heard footsteps. "Time to get up." He patted her back and slipped out from under her.

She stared at his naked body for a moment as he gathered up his clothes before she got up to get hers. Once they were dressed, she followed him to the kitchen where the boys were already getting their breakfast of leftover stew.

"Morning, Dad," they said together.

He walked behind them and patted both of their heads. "Good morning, boys. You'll be okay here while I run Nessie home?"

They both nodded. Jacob held out his hand toward her. "Do you want to eat before we leave?"

She went to him and slipped her hand in his. She wondered if the stew would take away her appetite for his sons. She doubted it. She was really hungry. "I think I should go home."

He nodded and took her back to town. "Come over again soon," he said as he walked her up to her door. "You're welcome anytime."

She stood on her toes to kiss him. "Be careful, Jacob. I might move in if you keep cooking like you do."

He chuckled. "Something tells me I wouldn't mind that." He kissed her one more time before he left.

Nessie slipped into her room and pressed her back against the door. What was she going to do? She couldn't fall in love with a human. It was the unwritten rule; the one she never felt the need to actually put on the list because it was so ludicrous to even think it. Humans were stupid, selfish, dirty freaks that served as nothing more than playthings and a food source for her and others like her. All except Jacob. And maybe his sons.

She refused to let herself think of the twins as anything other than potentially tasty. They weren't cute. They weren't endearing. They especially weren't worming their way into her heart the way their father had done. Nope.

She growled to herself and went into the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and relaxed to change to her true form. She stared in the mirror at the loose, pasty-white flesh that hung from her bones. Her pointed teeth and her blood red eyes were anything but beautiful to a human.

"This is what you are," she hissed to her reflection. "It doesn't matter what Jacob thinks of your human form; what would he say if he saw this?"

The thought made her heart heavy. She coiled her tail around herself and hung her head in her hands. She'd never cried. Not real tears from real human emotion. Not until today.

She didn't bother changing back to her human self. She remained in Lamia form until night fell. She was starving. This time, she went after sisters that were close in age but not twins. One six years old and the other seven, they came to play willingly and giggled quietly until Nessie had them where she wanted them in the trees.

Her stomach was full as she made her way back to her house. She cleaned up and showered, then made her legs reappear before she went to bed.

The next morning, the town was in a panic. Four people had disappeared in the night. Four? Nessie joined the citizens as they talked about the menace that was terrorizing the town. A few of them stepped forward when they said they knew what had taken the Peabody sisters. Nessie's heart constricted. She'd never been pointed out before. Not since she started being careful. She started backing away, hoping to get her belongings and leave before they could find and torture her.

"Wolves!" the men shouted. Nessie stopped and turned to gape at the front of the group. "Wolves have stolen our children and our men!"

That was unexpected. Nessie couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't her they were accusing.

"Micah saw them a few nights ago when they carried away John Sanderson. Tell them, Micah." The man stepped back for Micah to take the front.

Nessie looked around at the faces in the growing mob. Some of them angry, some worried, but most of them afraid. She noticed the lack of three important faces.

As she thought about it, Jacob had never been concerned for the missing people. He'd never even shown alarm when the kids went missing. His boys were important to him; she knew that. She also knew from experience that those with children were the first to sympathize for someone who'd lost their child.

She ducked out of the crowd and headed to Jacob's. Something inside her said she needed to warn him. She wasn't sure what about, but she just had to. She ran to his house and pounded on the door. She was relieved when he opened.

"Nessie? Is everything okay?"

She pushed past him and stopped to catch her breath. "I don't know, Jacob. They're gathering in town talking about the missing men and children. They say wolves are to blame."

Jacob stood stoic. He didn't react in any way. She wasn't sure what to think of that.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Dad? What's going on?" Alex asked.

"What's she doing here?" Donovan asked.

Jacob pursed his lips and glanced to the twins. "Go to your room."

"But Dad—"

"Now," Jacob demanded. The boys didn't question him again.

"Tell me what's going on," Nessie asked.

Jacob met her eyes. "Why don't you tell me? Did you come here to warn me or to accuse me?"

She swallowed. "To warn you."

He nodded. "Why?"

She looked down. "To be honest, Jacob, I don't know."

He stepped forward and touched her cheek. She looked back up at him. "I know why. We stick up for each other, don't we?"

Her brow furrowed. "Meaning?"

He smirked. "You think I don't know what you are? I've known since we first met in the woods. I apologize for that. I wouldn't have let them take your kill if there had been any other choice. I have rules I have to follow as well."

She stepped back. "So you are the wolves."

He nodded. "We're Amarok. People confuse us with werewolves and shape shifters all the time. We're just big wolves that hunt the stray hikers at night. The truth is, holding this human form is tiring. I'm sure it's the same for you."

"Yes, it is. Why do it then?"

"Why do you? I've met your kind before, Ness. I know they don't usually disguise themselves." He sighed and sat down on a kitchen chair. "Is it the same for you? It's easier to go unnoticed when you travel as human. It's harder with all this new technology to not get killed."

She nodded and sat on his lap. "Yes, it's the same. I can't believe you figured me out but I was clueless about you until the mob started forming. They're going to start searching the woods."

He nodded and kissed her lips. "We have to leave. Come with us?"

She bit her lip and thought about it for a moment. "I'm very old, Jacob."

He smirked. "More than five hundred years old?" he asked skeptically.

"No, not quite. Just over two hundred."

He nodded. "You're still young. I'm 580 years old. I lied when I told you I met my wife ten years ago. It was really one hundred. My boys are eighty. Still puppies, but learning quickly. Their mother was a human, and she really did die when they were four years old. They ate her."

Nessie smiled. "Does it bother you that I eat children?"

Jacob shrugged. "Does it bother you that I don't?"

"No, it doesn't. What if I told you that I've been tempted to get yours?"

His smile faded, and his eyes became intense. "I'm very protective of my boys, Nessie. I'll trust you not to harm them if you promise you won't. But, if you do, I will kill you."

She shivered. "There are other children in the world. Human children. I won't touch the twins."

"Thank you. We should get going if we want to be gone by the time they reach us. Go get your things and meet us in the woods."

She nodded and hopped off his lap. "Will the boys be okay with me tagging along?"

"Yes. They like you. They're a little wary for obvious reasons, but they know I wouldn't let anything hurt them."

"Okay."

He stood up and caught her arm before she could leave. "Be careful, Nessie." He kissed her. "Please."

"I'll see you soon, Jacob." She stood on her toes to kiss him one more time before she walked out.

She talked with a few people on her way to get information about the upcoming search. A large group of men were going to head out before it got dark. They were loading up on supplies before they left. She hurried to get her few belongings.

Getting back out of town was harder than she had thought. People asked her where she was going. She made up a story of staying the night with Jacob because she was scared to be alone.

She stopped by his house long enough to make sure she hadn't been followed, then she left again to meet him in the forest. He stood in the trees with the twins behind him. She smiled when she saw them. Jacob held out his hand, and she rushed forward to take it.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded and looked at the boys. "Thank you for letting me come along."

They nodded together. "Thank you for not eating us."

She smiled again. "Let's go."

As they walked, Nessie thought of something. "By the way, Jacob; can you tell me what was in that stew now?"

He smirked. "Yeti."

Her brow furrowed. "Yeti? I would never have guessed."

"You have to be a sneaky bastard to get those guys." He hugged her shoulders. "They're a rare delicacy, so you can't say I've never pampered you."

She laughed. "I consider myself pampered."

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. Thanks for reading!

The music that helped during the creation process of this story was The Animal by Disturbed and Beast and the Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold.

Also, all of the creatures I mentioned (aside from Kerri, which is a manipulation of Ker) were found on this site: Wikipedia wiki / List_of_legendary_creatures. The link is also on my profile.


End file.
